Football score board



A. M. MONROE FOOTBALL SCORE BOARD July 14, 1931.

Filed July '7. 1930 K IN VEN TOR.

A L BERT M MoN/Poe BY mud/VL ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 14, 1931 UNITED STATES PAT 'Nr Fries FOOTBALL sconn :BOARD Application inea July 7,

My invention relates to improvements in football score boards, and it consists in the combinations, constructions land arrangements hereinafter described and claimed.

`An object of my invention is to provide a football score board that is especially designed to more graphically present the game to a person who is listening to the play by play account from a radio. The device provides novel and simple meansfor keeping track of the scores made by foot ball teams,

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for designating the quarters ofthe game, and for showing the exact position of the ballon the playing field.

Other objects and advantages Will appear as the lspecification proceeds, and the novel features of the device Willbe particularly pointed out in the claims hereto annexed.

My invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure lis a front elevation of the device,

Figure2 is a rear elevation, i

Figure 3 is a section'along the line 3 3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a section along the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

In carrying out my invention I providea score board indicated generally at 1 and preferably made of aluminum casting. The board has a front face 2 and a flange 3 that extends around the four sides of the board.

On the face 2 of the board I mark off a football field 4 (see Figure 1), this vfield vhaving lines 5 indicating the yardage. Directly beneath the lield 4 I mark ofi' a rectangle 6, and in this'rectangle I set forth the Words team positions, these Words. being indicated by the reference numeral V7.

The face 2 of the board has openings 8 and 9 Which are shown rectangular in shape, although any other shape will suHce. These openings are positioned on either side ofthe rectangular mark 6. Referring to Figure 2, it Will be noted that I position rollers 10 and 11 in back of the openings 8 and 9, these rollers having the names of the teams printred thereon.` For example, at the start of the game, team 1 will be guarding the right-hand end of the field 4, While team 2 Willv be guarding the left-hand end of the field. vThe 1930. Serial No. 466,313.

roller 11 showing the Wording Team 1 through the opening 9 Will have the Word` ing Team 2 on its opposite side (see Figure 2) so that the roller may be turned for bringing the other team nameinto registration With the opening 9. The same is true of the roller 10,

The rollers 10 and 11 are mounted upon lshafts 12 and 13, and these shafts are journalled in lugs 14 and 15 formed integral With the board l. The shafts 12 and 13 also extend through the flange 8 and are provided With turning knobs 16 and 17. rIhe listener can quickly turn the name of the desired team into registration with the openings 8 and 9 by manipulating the knobs 16 and 17.

Directly beneath the frame 6 on the face 2 I provide a marked frame 18 (see Figure 1), this frame having the Word Quarter printed therein, this Word being indicated by the reference numeral 19. A small opening 20 in the board 1 is provided adjacent to the left-hand end of the frame 18. Reference to. Figure 2l Will show that a roller 21 is positioned behind the opening 20, and this roller has numbers 1 to 4 inelusive printed thereon. The roller is turned by means of a knob 22, the knob being connected to the roller by a shaft 28 which rin 'turn is journalled in a lug 24 and in the iiange 3,. The operator by turning the knob 22 can bring the desired number into registration With the opening 20 for indicating the quarters of the game. y

Another rectangular frame indicated at 23 on the face of the board 2 (see Figure y1) has the Word Score Written therein, this Word being' indicated by the reference numeral 24. Other rectangular frames 25 and 26 are placed on a line With the frame 28, and the names of the teams may be Written in these squares by pencil or other suitable means. I have found that an aluminum board Will take pencil Writings very Well, and these may be erased and others substituted at any time desired. The frame 26 has the naine of the team 1 Written therein, While the frame 25 has the name of the team 2 Written therein.

Openings 27 and 28 vare associated With` the frames 25 and 26. Figure 2 shows two numbered rollers provided for each opening. Since each pair of rollers is identical to the other' pair, a description of one Will sulfice. In Figure 4 I show the opening 27, and further show rollers 29 and 30 disposed in back of this opening. These rollers have numbers from vO to 9 on their peripheries, and they are loosely mounted upon a shaft 31. rlhe shaft is journalled in ,lu-gs 32 and 33, and also passes through the flange 3 and is provided with a turning knob 34. A split spring 35 is rigidly secured to the shaft 3l, and is loosely received in recesses 36 and 3'( in the rollers 29 and 30. When the knob 34 is moved to the right in Figure l, it Will cause vthe vspring 35 to fri'ctionally engage With the Wheel 3() in Figure 4. A turning of the -knob 34 will bring the de'- sired number into registration with the opening 27, this number indicating the units of the score. The movement of the knob 34 to the left in Figure l will connect the spring 35 with the Wheel 29, and then a rotation of the 'knob VWill bring the desired number on the Wheel 29 into registration with the opening 27. The numbers on the Wheel 29 indicate the ftens. A combination of the two numbers gives the score. The wheels :or rollers 29 and 30 associated with the opening 28 function in the same manne-r.

In Figure l I show an object 38 representing a football, this object being carried by an endless cord 39. The cord extends across the playing field 4 and is passed through openings 40 and 41 in the board and thence around idler Wheels 42 land 43 and Wrapped once around a driving Wheel 44. The driving Wheel 44 'is manipulated by a knob 45 which is connected to the Wheel 44 by a vshaft 46. The `operator when listening to the broadcasting of the game can turn ithe knob 45 to vposition the ball 33 correctly on the playing field 4.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood.

At the start yof the game the names of the teams are Written in the rectangular frames 25 and 26, the knobs 16 and 17 are adjusted to designate which goal the particular teams are going to defend for the first quarter. As the game progresses, the ball 38 is moved and the scores are recorded in the openings 27 and 28. At 'the end of Ithe li-rst quarter lthe knob 22 is 'actuated for bringing the number 2 into position with the opening 20. rl`he names of the teams appearing in the openings 8 and 9 are changed. It i'vill be seen that the entire game can 'be correctly shown on the board and that the position of the ball on the playing field will make vthe game more realistic to the listener than it Would otherwise be. It should be noted 'that friction pieces 47 and 48 (see Figure 4) bear against the rollers or Wheels 29 and 3() for holding them in adjusted positions.

Although I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of various changes, and I reserve the right to employ such changes as may come Within the scope of the claims hereto annexed.

I claim: y

l. A football score board comprising a surface representing a football field, said surface having tivo openings, one arranged adjacent to one-half of the field and the other arranged adjacent to the other half of the lfield, a roller disposed in back of each opening vand having names of the opposing teams thereon, 'and means lfor rotating the rollers for bringing the desired names into registration With the openings.

2. In a score board, a pair of rollers, a shaft common to both, means carried by the shaft for operatively connecting one Aof the rollers to the shaft When the shaft is moved longitudinally in one direction, and for connecting the other roller to the shaft When the shaft is moved 'in the other direction, and yielding means for holding the rollers in adjusted position.

3. In a score board, a pair of rollers, a shaft therefor, yielding means for preventing the rotation of the rollers, and a spring carried by said shaft for frictionally engaging with one of said rollers when said shaft is moved longitudinally in one direction and for engaging with the .other roller When the shaft is moved in the other direction.

4. A 4football score board comprising a A surface havingls'paced openings therein, and a football field represented between the openings, an endless cord passing through the openingsand extending across the field, an object 'simulating a football attached to the cord, and means vfor moving the cord.

5. A `football score board comprising a surface having spaced openings therein, and a football field represented between the openings, an endless cord ipassing through the openings and extending across the field,

an object simulating a football attached to the cord, and operating means disposed in rear of the surface andrhidden from view for movingvthe cord.

G. In a football score board, va surface having openings therein, rollers aligned with the openings vand having the names of the opposing teams displayed on each, and means for rotating the rollers for bringing the names of either of the teams into registry With either of the openings.

In a 'score board, a surface having an opening therein, a pair of 'rollers aligned With the, opening and having their 'pe- Y rip'heries in registry With each other, the

perpheries having indicia displayed thereon, a common shaft for the rollers, and means carried by the shaft for operatively connecting one of the rollers to the shaft When the latter is moved longitudinally in one direction, and for connectin the other roller to the shaft when the sha t is moved in the opposite direction.

ALBERT M. MONROE. 

